Kingdom Keepers: Coming to a Television Near You, Real Soon!
by nicxle
Summary: Ever wondered what it would be like if our beloved book series became a television show? I know I have, hence me writing this fic. Upon being adapted into a television show, there will be changes to a lot, just as shows like the Vampire Diaries or Pretty Little Liars faced when going onto the screen. This is my interpretation of how it'd change, I suck at explaining, worth the read
1. Before the Storm

**A/N:** _Hey there- you, yes you! Thank you so much for clicking my story and actually wanting to read it. I was really nervous about publishing this, but people on tumblr told me I should, so I listened. Just real quickly before I let you read!_

 **Important before starting the** **fic** **:** so this isn't the typical fan fiction. it's basically what kingdom keepers would be like if it were adopted by a major television network, so like the vampire diaries or pretty little liars, etc. it takes the plot and characters, makes things a bit more mature, uses cliches, character growth, minor (sometimes major changes)etc., so please don't be like this didn't happen in the book! I know that, i'm changing it up like a television network would! so I hope you all enjoy it! Now you may read :)

* * *

There it was: that familiar ache, the one that typically started from the toes, slowly but surely working its way up. Without fail, that dull reminder of how agonizingly far away two thirty was on Friday afternoons, appeared and pounded, only continuing to grow in momentum as the second hand whirled around a clock set two hours behind and will probably never be fixed, all thanks to the laziness that is the custodial staff at Middleton High. As time drew closer and closer to the ultimate goal, Finn sat in class, thoughts anywhere but Chemistry as he chewed the top of his pen. He was too good a daydreamer, almost alarmingly so, it actually appeared that he was studying the chalkboard, considering everything Mr. Harrison presented about balancing chemical equations, though if you asked Finn later, he'd recall they were talking about H2O, or CO2 or something like that- he thinks.

Suddenly, he's aware of himself, aware of his surroundings. Dark eyes travel around the room, taking in the bored expressions of his classmates, aside from the two or three kids that find it impossible to actually not care about useless school work. Continuing their trip around the room, his eyes land two rows diagonal of him, which happens to be the desk of his best friend, Dillard. Dillard was a goof, that much was certain, his lopsided grin and shaggy blond hair made him appear like a lost puppy dog, though it remained a mystery to Dillard and Finn why the girls wouldn't go for the puppy type. Weren't girls supposed to be into puppies and the works? His friend grins, holding up the thumbs up sign as his grey eyes wander to the clock, signalling that there were only seconds remaining before the bell rang. This immediately raised Finn's spirits, the young man already shutting his binder and throwing his school supplies into his backpack. It was like clockwork, Dillard beginning the 10 second countdown like he did every week, Mr. Harrison scolding him, though giving up once the rest of the class's chants drowned out his feeble attempts at order. Finn grinned, pale freckled hand flattening his short brunette locks. He was no girl- but he liked to claim his obsession with touching his hair was Florida's fault for being so damn humid.

And there it was, the glorious yet irritatingly high pitched sound of the bell. School was dismissed, and though there would only be two short days before Finn would be returning to the wretched halls of Middleton High, he was prepared to make the most of it, though his weekend would be spent in meetings. Oh yeah, just how he liked it- not. However, he was in no particular situation to complain about these meetings, for they contained something special, exciting, life changing, even. Though he'd have to wait until later to attend, and he couldn't believe he was saying it, but he couldn't wait for these meetings.

* * *

Being the good friend he was, he waited for Dillard outside of class, knowing Harrison would be grilling him for approximately 45 seconds, as he did every Friday. And just like he called it, 45 seconds later, Dillard was out the door, rolling his eyes and laughing as he began walking towards the exit of the school. "This dude's seriously delusional if he thinks that I'm a distraction to the class; I tell you man, unbelieveable." Finn laughs, mostly due to his uncertainty of whether or not Dillard is being sarcastic. It's hard to tell, the boy frequents in it so much, it may as well be his native tongue. "Yeah, wonder why he thinks that." Dillard pauses in his step, almost half smirking, "Don't mock me, Finny Boy, wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours, especially for your meeting."

He's obviously joking, though Finn tenses up; the meeting, oh it was only an hour or two away. Though it was nothing but great news, he was still relatively nervous, though that's normal, especially when approaching a project with such uncertainty - he gulped, though tried to conceal it with a sarcastic remark. "Oh har har, Dill. I'll be fine." The two boys fall into even pace, walking home. Thankfully home was only a block away from school, so they wouldn't be getting too much exercise, God knows how awful that is for video gaming.

"So tell me more about this meeting, you've barely mentioned it at all apart from the fact that it takes away from our Friday night Call of Duty and Papa Johns tradition and our Saturday Grand Theft Auto and Taco Bell run, as well as our let's cram everything else fun into Sunday until 8pm when we actually start our countless hours of homework." Dillard teased, nudging Finn's arm with his elbow. The other boy released a sigh, hands digging into his jean pockets. His mother warned not to say too much, but who would Dillard tell? His Great Aunt Jean?

"Well, like I mentioned, it's a job opportunity for Disney." Finn replied, though was that too vague? Perhaps it was, but perhaps Dillard could settle for vague, he wasn't exactly the deepest person Finn knew. "Alright, what for Disney?" - alright, maybe he was less vague than expected. Finn continued, cautiously choosing his words, "It's just like this _thing_ , where I have to do this _thing_ with a few other kids our age from the surrounding high schools. It'll be a _thing_ and yeah, seems pretty cool." Smooth- sorta. But Dillard rolled with it, nodding as he listened, "Alright, so you're doing a thing with other kids from the other high schools. Gotcha, seems cool." That's all it took, it was magic. Finn concealed a sigh of relief, only focusing on the broken up sidewalk he stepped on below.

"The other highschools though? So like Eisenhower, Wilmington, Spring Meadows, and Darwin?" Dillard asked, continuing on the topic Finn wished to avoid, though his question was harmless, so Finn nodded in response. The area they lived in was rather large, the city so big it's split up into five high schools. Eisenhower, Wilmington, Spring Meadows, Darwin, and Middleton, where Finn and Dillard attend. Eisenhower and Darwin were honors schools, taking in the students with the highest grade point averages, Middleton and Spring Meadows taking in the other students, Middleton taking in the students who lived on the West side of town, and Spring Meadows the east. However, the most unique of them all was Wilmington. It was the newest and smallest school, located in the southern part of town, conveniently where the higher income crowd tended to live. You know, the type with mansions and several cars. That school claimed to not be restricted to only the wealthy, but it's no secret their convenient location is an easy way of allowing the creme de la creme access easier. Pretty soon, Finn would be integrated into a crowd of all of them. "Can't be too bad, Finn. Wilmington's got hot girls, Eisenhower and Darwin smart girls, and the rest is just the rest, average shmaverage, y'know?" Finn rolled his eyes at Dillard, glad to have finally reached his house. "Yeah, alright. I'll catch you later, Dillard." The two boys exchanged their goodbyes, Finn running into his house to at least attempt to prepare for this meeting.

* * *

"Finn Whitman, you're late." The lovely greeting a child always wants to hear as he enters the door to their home. "By like a minute, mom, it's fine." Though to bandage his obvious bruised relations with his mother, he plants a quick kiss to her cheek, walking past her to grab the dinosaur chicken nuggets she's got prepared on the counter. However, his mother responds by slapping his hand away, "Oh stop that, those are for your sister. She's ought to eat while we're out." With that, his younger sister, Holly, who is all of ten - he thinks? smirks, rising from her seat at the table and grabbing her food. "Yeah Finn, I've got to eat." He's got half a mind to tell her to shut up, though it's best not to get grounded before heading out, so he bites his tongue. And with his tongue holding back and mother preparing for the meeting, it takes another fifteen minutes before they're out the door, heading towards the meeting that'll craft his lifetime.


	2. What Exactly is Going on Here?

**A/N:** _Wow, i've sort of neglected this story. I've been writing and have had ideas for a while, but continuing from chapter two was hard, seeing as I have so many plans for the future of this story and not the current. But after basically a year later, here I am, finally continuing this! Once again, thank you for reading, and if you forgot from the first chapter, once again this isn't an accurate portrayal of the series, it's a retelling of how it would be shown if it was adopted by a major television network, just like shows The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, etc. all change things up for the silver screen. Enjoy ! Thanks for reading!_

* * *

As one could expect, the car ride there was full of his mother spewing out warning after warning, all of which pertained to proper manners and how to respectfully carry oneself. Of course Finn could only respond with a groan as his head leaned against the car window, watching as trees and other cars soared past him on the highway.

"Where exactly is this meeting, Mom?" He questioned, eyes never leaving the outside world. His mother had mentioned it wasn't in the parks earlier, and that thought bored him. Finn loved Disney, in fact, he frequently visited, and an opportunity to work in his favorite place excited him, though meetings outside of it; well, that idea didn't seem all that exhilarating. "Disney Executive's office, Finn, don't you listen?" She replied, though her tone wasn't sharp, so perhaps stress was to blame for her snark filled answer. "Guess not." He mumbled in response, eyes narrowing in on the road as they continued onward to their destination.

The radio was on in the background, though if you asked Finn what was playing, he couldn't tell you. Nerves and anxiety swirled within him, the unknown beating down on him. What exactly was in store for him? What had he gotten himself into? Sure, he was excited. He was a teenager going to meet with Disney Executives, fancy, right? However, he just couldn't shake the feeling that things weren't as straightforward as implied.

Thoughts and concerns occupied him the whole way there, for soon, his mother was parking the car, sighing aloud before turning towards her son for one last moment. "Remember your manners, remember to-" However, before she could finish, Finn completed her sentence, even increasing the pitch of his voice to match hers while opening the car door and getting out before she could object. Dark eyes scan the building before him, _man oh man_ , it was tall. Though it looked as he imagined, industrial, very official, very expensive. But nonetheless, the sight of it caused him to smile, the young man walking towards the doors, waiting to discover just what was inside.

The doors opened automatically, providing the effect in full force that he was, well- _important_. At least he felt that he was in this very moment. Though his mother was there to joyfully push him back down to reality, elbowing him when he was addressed at the front desk. "Oh- sorry, could you please repeat that." Finn replied, minding his mother's cautions of being polite. "I said follow me, ." A young secretary rudely replied, clipboard in hand as she began to lead him down a winding path. They were outside the parks, so _apparently_ it was okay for staff to be rude, the joke made him laugh, though there was no one to share it with- his mother was behind in the waiting room, and now he was beginning to realize just how alone in this he was. Finn wasn't exactly a people person, so the idea of making new friends didn't really sit well with him, though he didn't weigh these options until just now. However he couldn't back out, despite the fact that it was too late, he was making incredible money, and well, who could give up a job at Disney? A mad man, that's who.

The secretary opened the door, revealing a medium sized conference room decorated in Disney portraits. Seems legit. "Someone's already here, Mr. Feeney and Mr. Kresky will be here to join you once everyone has arrived." Finn nodded his thanks, though his mom's voice pushed through his head, so he spoke his gratitude much more vocally as he made way into the room. Turning to face it completely now, he noticed a round conference table, one that made it easy to see everyone, and (un)fortunately, someone already took a seat. He swallowed thickly, taking confident strides over to the table, walking to the opposite side of the stranger before pulling out a chair and sitting. He nodded for a greeting, studying the kid before him.

He was a ginger, a ginger with curly locks and freckles, glasses- the whole nine yards. Oh, he definitely had to be from one of the smart schools, he would be surprised if he was otherwise. The kid -Finn had to stop calling him that, he was the same age- cleared his throat, alerting Finn that he too was studying him, though he was much more vocal about it. Silence. Then some more. Then a little bit more- though the ginger haired kid- teen, whatever- eventually spoke. "I'm Dell. Dell Philby. Though I'd appreciate it if you just called me Philby." Finn's mouth was on the verge of just hanging open. Well, that was the last thing he expected- he had an English accent; now that, that was pretty cool. "I'm Finn Whitman. Nice accent, by the way." He smiled, and the boy sort of smiled in return, though it wasn't overly enthused.

Finn opened his mouth to speak again, though he was interrupted by a much girlier voice, meaning the third member had come to join them. "I hear an English accent, now that's cool." The stranger gushed, making herself visible in the light. Oh, well she was certainly a sight, tan skin, short brown curly hair, almond eyes; Finn could get used to working with her. "I'm Willa Angelo, lemme guess- Finn and Dell." Her smile was warm and inviting, Finn nodding with awe that she actually knew who he was, apparently he was transparent enough for Willa to respond to his look. "Sorry, was that creepy? I just did a bit of research before I came, I like to know what I'm coming into." She pulled out the chair beside Philby, flattening her skirt, one splattered in a unique pattern, before taking a seat. "No, not creepy at all," Finn replied, watching as the redheaded boy seemed annoyed more so than anything, though he ignored it, continuing to engage in conversation with Willa whom undoubtedly was much more entertaining, "I'd say impressive." She smiled in response, head tilting to the side as she continued to speak. "Okay good, I totally didn't want to come off creepy. We're just waiting for Terence and Charlene it seems."

Philby finally spoke up, "It's Philby, by the way, perhaps you should allow Terence and Charlene to introduce themselves as whatever they'd like to be called so you don't make the mistake of calling them something they don't like." He offered an ironic smile in her direction, Finn completely taken aback by such a response. It was, well- rude. However this bothered Willa in no shape or form, seeing as she smiled and nodded, "Got it, _Philby_." She paused for a moment, only to add an additional remark, "Typical Darwins student, doesn't like it when they're not the only one with a brain in the room." Though despite the remark, her smile never fades. Philby snorts, trying to act amused by her comeback, though he can't quite stay on his toes as well as Willa. "Better than being an Eisenhower student." He too smiles, though this entire exchange makes Finn feel far too uncomfortable. "Philby, I'm sure it was an accident for Willa to call you Dell, so why don't we just let this go so we can work together peacefully." Finn added, though truthfully he felt like he was dealing with an exchange between children, not high school juniors. However, his intervening worked, for Willa and Philby exchanged looks and all was calm- though little did Finn know that this slight sign of leadership had suddenly made him the advisor.

All was silent for a few moments, though the silence was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. The three heads at the table turned quickly, taking in the fourth member to arrive. Terence Maybeck, though Finn only knew that from Willa. He was tall, and he screamed the artsy type. His clothes were incredibly hipster, and his dark hair had a slight fro, his skin black and his eyes kind. He grinned at the others, a crooked grin, one that girls probably clung to like a magnet, though Willa seem unaffected. "Wow, what a party we have going on here." He greeted, that lopsided smile still on his face, though only Willa responded as Terence took the seat beside Finn. "I'm Willa, that's Finn and that's _Philby_." She put extra emphasis on the Brit's last name, earning a look of approval from him, which surprised Finn. Guess Philby was capable of being pleased. "I'm Terence Maybeck, but just call me Maybeck." However Maybeck's response only reverted Philby's kindness as he made an " I told-you-so " expression at Willa, she retorted by rolling her eyes, hand reaching for her phone so she could see the time. "5 o'clock on the dot. Charlene's late, wonder if they'll start without her."

"They should, lateness shouldn't be rewarded." Philby retorted. Finn wasn't sure if he truly meant it, or if he only said it to annoy Willa. Honestly, both were believable. "Okay…" Maybeck loudly interjected, "So what schools are you all from?" He was a blessing, truly, anything to remove Finn's attention from this Willa and Philby conflict. "I'm from Middleton, they're Darwins and Eisenhower." He responded, Maybeck's face twisting into a smirk upon hearing that. "Got ourselves a couple of smarty pants, don't we? Well, this will be interesting." Philby soaked that up as a compliment, this much evident by his leaning toward Maybeck for conversation, Willa hiding back a laugh upon noticing this. Finn ignored this though, pressing for more normal conversation, "Where are you from?" Maybeck was a good bet, he could be Wilmington or Spring Meadows. "Spring Meadows, which leaves this Charlene chick as our rich _princess_." Yet again, Willa rolled her eyes, this time at Maybeck, though Finn found humor in his comment, releasing a laugh. He liked Maybeck, he was funny, Willa was nice too, though Philby seemed a bit too much.

Time quickly passed, conversation growing increasingly easier as time went on. They were good people, Finn could actually seeing himself enjoy working with them, though he was still a bit unsure as to what they'd actually be doing. Willa eyes her phone clock yet again, "5:20, Charlene's a no show, or incredibly late." Philby retorts, "Or incredibly dimwitted." Though before Willa could protest, the door opens up, revealing a tall blonde girl, walking in quickly. "I'm so sorry I'm late, we can blame my mom who just couldn't leave the ho-" Though before Charlene could finish, Maybeck spoke up, smirking at the newcomer. "Hey guys, didn't realize we'd be working with a real life Disney Princess." Charlene, still walking over to the table, was forced to sit between him and Willa, and sitting beside Maybeck after that comment was probably the last thing she wanted to do. "And here I thought Disney employees weren't allowed to be _rude_." She glares at him with blue eyes, wavy blonde hair flipping over one shoulder as she turns to face Willa rather than Maybeck. He seemed taken aback by her remark, though slightly captivated by her looks now that she was closer. However he wasn't the only one with this issue, seeing as Finn couldn't help but stare as well, and he was pretty sure Philby was looking, because even his rude remarks were muted. Charlene was beautiful, simply put. Long wavy blonde hair, bright blue piercing eyes, perfect proportions and dressed like a model, Finn just wondered if all Wilmington girls looked like this- which Dillard did warn.

"I'm Charlene Turner, and I'm from Wilmington." Her smile, just like Willa's was inviting, and Willa seemed overjoyed that there was more estrogen in the room. With a smile wider, she responded, "I'm Willa, that's Philby, Maybeck and F-" "Finn, I'm Finn." He couldn't help but interject - he needed to make an impression. Charlene glanced from Willa to Finn as he interrupted, "Nice to meet you, glad to know that not all you boys are rude." This brightens Finn up, and suddenly he's grateful for his mom constantly reminding him of his manners. "Oh no, it's just Finn, Philby and Maybeck have a lot more in common than you think." Philby scowls, Maybeck shrugs, though Charlene doesn't quite know how to react to that, but she doesn't need to, for the door opens yet again, revealing a man in a business suit.

"Glad to see you've all made it! Now, I hope you're ready, because I'm going to unveil some incredibly important information, in addition to some changes you're about to face."


	3. Feeny the Weenie

The man who was addressing them appeared to be , and the kids could conclude this solely based off of his obnoxiously large name tag. Thankfully they could read it, since no proper introduction was given to them. Feeney was an odd man, he looked as though he was constantly frantic, short, stubby, he was an embodiment of someone who did their job well, but didn't necessarily have the most socially adequate formulas for completion. In other words, he was a tad awkward. He moved across the room rather clumsily, rushing to grab the clicker for what appeared to be a presentation on the projection screen. He knocked something over, muttering something about being rushed and late, which only made everyone uncomfortable. However, soon enough, he gained control of the situation and turned on the computer, the screen lighting up with the Disney logo. The mood of the room shifted entirely, everyone jerking alive to begin trying to understand what would be going on. It was almost a comedic scene, for as soon as Feeney put up the powerpoint presentation, each kid scrambled to do their own note taking method. Willa and Philby reached frantically in their bags for a notebook and pen, while Maybeck lounged back comfortably in his chair. Charlene and Finn seemed to be out of the loop, Charlene watching the others and biting her lip nervously, Finn clearing his throat and folding his hands in an attempt to soak everything in.

"Now you've all been selected out of a large group of kids for this project, and we need to keep it top secret for as long as we can. Do you kids think you can do that?" Mr. Feeney pointedly asked, he seemed uncharacteristically stern, which only emphasized the severe confidentiality of this project. Due to this, the five "chosen ones", as you will, nodded forcefully, not daring to make a sound, which only prompted Mr. Feeney to continue. Pressing the clicker in his hand, he began going through his presentation, showing off flashy statistics and graphics, flow charts, pie charts, you name it and it was probably there. The numbers and correlations didn't seem to apply to anything anyone could understand, well, minus Willa and Philby who were watching intently with looks of intrigue - so the others could only assume something spectacular could come from this meeting.

Charlene, Maybeck, and Finn, barely understanding any technicalities presented before them, fell victim to allowing their eyes to keep glancing towards the clock. There were times Finn would catch Maybeck glancing at Charlene, and for the strangest reason, this didn't set right with him. Charlene knew he was staring too, and more often than not she'd throw him a look that would suggest him to screw off, though this only seemed to encourage Maybeck. This whole scene was intriguing - perhaps Charlene was just the sort of girl that liked attention from guys. However, that feeling of dislike for Charlene and Maybeck's interactions annoyed Finn, and he could only chalk it up to how Maybeck treated her terribly before, and now thought he could woo her. It didn't seem right. However, Terence Maybeck and his flip flopping behavior seemed to be the last thing in Charlene Turner's frame of mind, for a finely manicured hand shot way up in the air at once.

"Miss. Turner, is it?" Feeney asked, a bit breathless from his tangent.

"Yes, sir." She nodded, respectful.

"Go on, then."

"Well, truthfully, I'm sorta confused," She trailed off, almost embarrassed that she didn't grasp anything just yet. She seemed to be under the impression that Maybeck and Finn could understand as well, though she was mistaken, because as _surprising_ as it was, the two honors kids were the only ones with a clue. Charlene's state triggered an amused snort from Philby, whom Charlene shot daggers at with her eyes, and you could hear Willa groan in disgust at him. Pointedly talking over their most obnoxious peer, she continued. "I'm not really a good science student, which is why I'm so confused. What exactly does all this holographic stuff mean?" Feeney nodded, trying to formulate an answer for this question that could make sense to the average person, and Finn and Maybeck exchanged a look of relief between the two of them that Charlene was brave enough to actually inquire about what they didn't understand.

"Alright, well, in simpler terms, for you ,- we, _Disney_ , are designing this new interactive experience for our Florida resort and parks. We will be making holographic, or simply put, three dimensional projections, out of you all. These projective versions of you will be serving as tour guides, entertainers, you name it!" Feeney seemed a bit excited about the last bit, which was palpable by the chirp he released at the end of his sentence. However, it was contagious, because it earned a response of excitement from the three kids who didn't immediately understand, or _well_ , pay attention to what Feeney was trying to explain. Feeney smiled at the excitement, hands forming a fist to pump subtly in excitement. He soon fixed his demeanor when he became more aware of himself, promptly clearing his throat and putting on a much more serious front. "However, this isn't just all fun. You'll be gaining tremendous responsibility. I hope you're all ready for that."

"What do you mean tremendous? Most jobs have responsibilities that aren't what you'd say _tremendous_. " Maybeck called out, causing Feeney to quickly turn his head in the other direction, which frankly, disoriented him quite a bit. "This isn't just a typical job, Mr. Maybeck. Don't forget, you're carrying the reputation of one of the world's most successful companies on your wee virtual back." He glanced away from Maybeck, though, almost intimidated to look directly in his eyes as he criticized him. He instead glanced towards Willa, who had a much more inviting presence, which allowed him to continue on about responsibilities. "For starters, you won't be able to enter the park at your leisure. You will be given access whenever you'd like, but you're going to need to check in in advance so you can be properly disguised. We wouldn't like you to be seen out and about the same time as your holographic counterpart." He released a chuckle, trying to make it seem as if this was the most entertaining prospect in the world. "You'll also be required to attend events, signings, parades. You name it, you probably have to do it. But I'm sure you kids aren't too upset about that, am I right?" They nod in response, though only to appease him and move him along. Feeney was just an odd man, the less he spoke the better. "Just remember, you must conduct yourself with grace and respect always. You'll officially be branded by the Disney company. Keep up the magical reputation." He glared at Philby for this briefly, once again too intimidated by direct eye contact or confrontation, though his brief, but noticeable glance proved he heard many of Philby's thought to be whispered rude remarks. However, Philby seemed unphased, because his hand was now in the air.

"Yes, Mr. Philby?" Feeney asked dryly.

"When will we be making these counterparts? Is there a process to it?"

"Yes, of course. That's all being discussed right now with your parents as we speak. Next weekend we will all be meeting in Hollywood Studios before it opens for the work day, so if I were you, I'd get acquainted with one another, because we'll be spending a lot of time together from now on." There was a phony grin plastered on his face, one that knew these kids would have a bumpy road ahead, and judging by the looks of Charlene and Willa, they agreed. Though, to be fair, they had been given quite a hard time by Maybeck and Philby. "This brings me to my next part, I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Wayne Kresky. He'll discuss the final details with you, meaning, this is goodbye for us. I'll see you kids next week." He attempted an enthusiastic wave, but walked out of the room, realizing how goofy ( no pun intended ) he looked. This however, left an overwhelming emptiness in the room, now that they were alone once more.

It was silent, and not a comfortable silence, it was an awkward silence, and everybody knew it. They all began to busy themselves in different ways, Maybeck doodling effortlessly with his pen, Charlene scrolling through social media with the occasional gasp or mutter to herself on some girl Jackie and her new boyfriend, Philby was seen flipping through his notes trying to memorize all the data, which left Finn to drumming his fingers against the table to some unknown beat. The only one who was not occupying herself was Willa, and she seemed to be looking around incredulously. "Are we really gonna sit in silence? They just told us to become well acquainted. Maybe we should actually try that?" Finn was the first to respond with a smile, glad someone was making an effort.

"Alright, what should we talk about?" Charlene answered, tossing blonde tresses over her shoulder. Finn blinked, then swallowed thickly at his throat, he suddenly began thinking of how he was going to tell Dillard about Charlene and how she exceeded the Wilmington standard of beauty. "Let's talk about the holographs." Philby didn't quite suggest, more along the lines of decided. Maybeck snorted in response, "Yeah _let's not_ , I'm down for talking about these perks we get though." Charlene eagerly nodded in agreement, letting past digressions go for the sake of getting along. Willa too seemed to drop a bit of her dislike for the boys and leaned forward to converse. Finn however, seemed to be the only member of the group not particularly enthused about everyone getting along. He didn't like Charlene getting along with Maybeck, he wanted her to steer away from him. To Finn, he was looking out for her, although he was letting his _slight_ admiration for her looks shadow over any logical thought or reason. He _forgot_ he met her an hour ago, he _forgot_ he probably didn't have a chance. He didn't even consider what the other two were thinking. Charlene thinking how overly obnoxious Maybeck was, and how he was the type of guy that only had one goal, and that was to be a complete pain in the ass. Maybeck on the other hand was thinking Charlene was some uncultured, spoiled rotten, rich girl, who needed to be teased and corrupted, taught about the real world. Maybeck thought it was now his personal responsibility to take care of that. These were things Finn never considered or threw into the equation.

Finn was off in thought about this, but Maybeck said something stupid that set Charlene in a tizzy, quickly shaking Finn from any disillusionments. "You're excited for perks, Charlene? You Wilmington kids get plenty of those." He smirked, thinking what he said was funny. It was obvious he meant no harm with his words, he was just trying to show off to her, but Charlene took clear offense. Her warm smile disappeared, and the blonde's typical breezy tone suddenly became sharp. "You know Maybeck, I can't think of many perks from this job now that you've opened your mouth, but I certainly hope that this all better be more than worth it for having to work with _you_." She turns around in her chair, and suddenly Maybeck realizes that his comment wasn't the best idea, in fact it was probably the worst idea, but he just can't seem to remove his foot from his mouth fast enough. "Can't take a joke, can you, Princess?" His hand reaches to rest on her shoulder, alerting her that he's just teasing, though Charlene quickly moves out of his grip, clearly not amused. "I can take a joke, in fact I love them. But in order for them to be jokes, they have to be _funny_." Her retort seemed to hit a good spot with the group, because they all began laughing in response, and this only supplies Charlene with enough fuel to turn around and look at Maybeck one last time, an ironic smile plastered on glossy lips. "Now see there, my friend. _That's_ how you get a crowd to laugh."

Maybeck looked like he was going to actually crap his pants, eyes wide, mouth agape. Willa was smirking and nudging Charlene to commend her on a job well done, girl power and all that. Finn, however, sat back and watched, completely taken by the blonde before him, which seemed impossible, considering he barely knew her. She was something out of a dream, and perhaps he was taken away by a fantasy of her, and not the real her. He didn't know the real her, but in this moment he thought he knew her and the two children they had together that he quickly thought up in his mind. His eyes lingered a tad too long, because she eventually noticed he was staring, her response being a simple smile in return, though she must be used to that sort of attention from guys- how couldn't she?

The group's conversation began to die down, which only seemed to concern Willa, seeing as they were specifically instructed to get better acquainted. She began twirling strands of her thick brown hair between tan fingers, a nervous habit she picked up from her cousin Luisa. Though, before long, the sound of a door opening could be heard, the attention of all the kids shifting to the opposite side of the room. An elderly man with hair silky silver entered the room, and he seemed to embody everything Feeney was not. He didn't look a day under two hundred, and he walked slowly to the front of the room. Everyone was silent, just intensely watching the elderly man make his way up front, and slowly but surely he made it there, silently commanding attention as he did such. This was no doubt Mr. Wayne Kresky.


End file.
